Fort Étude – Fuerte San Lorenzo, Colon, Panama

Fuerte San Lorenzo is a ruined Spanish fort overlooking the mouth of the Chagres river about seven miles West of the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal. It is a short cab ride from the Shelter Bay Marina which is how Harry Reppert and I visited it.

Why This Location?

In the early 16th century the Spanish were stealing the Inca gold from Peru and operating their own mines there using enslaved native Indians. This plunder was shipped to Panama City on the Pacific Ocean then transported across the Isthmus of Panama to the Caribbean for transshipment to Havana then on to Seville, Spain.  The easiest route across the Isthmus was called the Camino de Cruces which followed the Chagres River for its last twenty miles.  Just as this Camino was the easiest route to move gold from Panama City, it was also the easiest route for pirates to follow to attack the city. Therefore: defending the mouth of the Chagres at San Lorenzo was important to Spain.

How important was the Chagres? It has been claimed that the Chagres is the “richest river in the world.” First,  the Spanish extracted as much gold from Peru as had previously existed in the Old World. Second, as much as one to one and one half billion dollars worth of gold was shipped over this route from the gold fields of California in the mid 1800’s. Third, nearly 80% of the water to operate the Panama Canal is provided by the Chagres River.

Why This Site?

The Chagres empties into a small bay with a high bluff on its Northern shore. Near the bottom of this bluff there is a useful anchorage that supported a harbor for the transshipment workers. The river itself is only navigable to small vessels, actually just large canoes. Goods were transferred from the canoes to coastal ships bound for Porto Bello about thirty miles to the Eas, where they were again reloaded onto ocean going ships bound for Havana. The high bluff gave defenders an excellent gun platform commanding the entire bay and controlling this activity.

 

 

 

 

Why This Shape?

It is interesting that the fort is “U” shaped with the base of the “U” towards the land not the sea. I surmise that the builders believed that the steep shoreward walls of the bluff would deter  any landing party. Thus the primary threat would be from the land side. Although it isn’t clear in this photo, there are two rows of gun emplacements with a ditch between them facing the land. The inner wall has the usual drawbridge with flanking embrasures. The longer side walls guard the less formidable flanks of the bluff.

Features of the Fort

Garitas

Early Spanish forts had sentry posts called garitas overhanging the walls usually at the corners. They are such distinctive features that one is depicted on the city logo of San Juan, Puerto Rico. At the opposite end of the respect spectrum, the government of Mexico remove the garitas from the Fuerte San Diego in Acapulco when it was renovated into a history and culture center.

 

The Visit

The approach to the fort doesn’t look too formidable since the walls are not very much higher than the surrounding field. This sloped field is actually called a glacis and is designed to set attacking troops up like ten pins to be shot down by point blank cannon fire. To actually reach the first row of canons we must cross the first of two ditches over a narrow bridge. From the distance we see the gun embrasures, many guns,  and the guard post astride the only entrance

Once across the first ditch we see the first row of canons. Canon aficionados will recognize that some of these are of English manufacture having been left behind by invading British pirates.

Cannons to the Right of Us	Cannons to the Left of Us

Having passed the first row of cannons (luckily without volley and thunder) we crossed the second ditch over a partial bridge. During active duty there would have been a drawbridge pulled up by chains hanging from the central guard tower.

Harry Crossing the Drawbridge
Notice Embrasure Flanking the Bridge	Safely Looking Back Over Bridge

Once safely inside we can see the central court yard often called the parade ground with the ruins of the barracks.

  

Looking back from the parade ground we see most of the fort’s innards.

The fort is well documented with signage in both Spanish and English.

Short History of  San Lorenzo

Typical Informative Sign

1597. The fort was built in the Chagres River’s mouth as one of the fortifications for protecting the coast from pirates attacks. 1671. Henry Morgan captured the fortress and he used it as his base for attacking Panama City. At his return, Morgan blew up the fort. 1677. Spanish rebuilt and fortified the fort, with additional cannons, batteries, and barracks. 1740. English Admiral Edward Vernon bombards, captures and demolishes the fort. 1750. The fort is rebuilt again, which structure is that currently seen in the remaining ruins. 1821. Panama declares independence from Spain, and Spanish troops leave the region boarding from this place. 1942. During World War II, the United States Army installs artillery in the area of the fort as part of the defense system of the coast and of the Panama Canal.

New News

In 2010  a team of archeologists found the remains of a 17th century ship near San Lorenzo. It has been known that Morgan lost 5 ships in the shallows of Lajas reef as he approached the fort in 1671. Among the lost ships was Morgan’s flagship “Satisfaction”. The team was partially funded by the Morgan Rum Company and they are hoping to find liquor inside some of the cargo boxes recovered from the wreck. 340 year old rum, anyone?